Jesmer Departs NRSC for FP1

Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for two tumultuous cycles, is leaving the operation to become a partner at FP1, a public affairs firm. His departure was widely expected.

Republicans gained seats during Jesmer’s overall tenure, but lost ground in 2012 amid a political landscape that was expected to be favorable for the GOP. He led the political operation during the rise of the tea party and an activist GOP base that pushed for the nomination of several hardline conservatives over more moderate alternatives. Many of those conservatives – Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle and Ken Buck in 2010; Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin in 2012 – went down in defeat.

Jesmer previously served as campaign manager for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., who was the chair of the NRSC. He plans to continue serving as a political adviser to Cornyn. Jesmer was also previously the regional political director for the Republican National Committee during the 2006 cycle. He has also worked on Capitol Hill and for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

He joins FP1 as a partner, alongside other GOP operatives partners Terry Nelson, Danny Diaz and Jon Downs, the founders of the firm. “Terry, Jon and Danny are some of the best in the business and I am excited to join the team,” Jesmer said in a statement.

Reid Wilson contributed to this report.

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